Selectboard

Selectboard Meeting Notes: We Don’t Like the Cost of the Bridge We Ordered

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard april 2 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard took issue with new costs of a bridge project requested by an earlier board, and sent VTrans back to their offices without an approval for their design of the Western Ave bridge replacement near Melrose. VTrans is invited back when the project won’t cost the Town quite so much. No one mentioned the increases that will inevitably occur between now and 2028 when the bridge is scheduled to be completed.

The board also took up some start-up and general housekeeping issues. New Chair Daniel Quipp pledged earlier meeting end times and more public participation in the coming year.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – April 2, 2024

by cgrotke | Town News

A relatively easy first official Brattleboro Selectboard meeting for new Chair Daniel Quipp is scheduled for Tuesday. The Consent Agenda is ample, there are some board rules and assignments to take care of, and there will be some discussion of the recent Representative Town Meeting.

The big discussion could be that the board might use property taxes to pay for matching costs associated with replacing the Rt 9 bridge at Melrose Place.  The Town’s share has risen from half a million to $1.6 million since 2021.

You can once again, one assumes, bring up any other item not on the agenda during public participation.

Brattleboro Selectboard Organizational Meeting Agenda – March 26, 24

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard’s Organizational Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 6:15pm, in the Selectboard Meeting Room (230 Main Street, RM 212) and over Zoom. The attached agenda contains information on how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.”  Closed captioning will be available for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Thank You To Voters

by RDavis | Politics

Thank you to all of the voters who turned out for the Brattleboro election on March 5. Democracy is alive and well in our town. And thank you to those who voted for me. I hope to represent those who voted for me and those who voted for other candidates. The Brattleboro selectboard is a non-partisan institution and that means that we have a great deal of potential for collaboration and consensus building.

I hope to promote that climate on the selectboard and to be a voice for the people of Brattleboro. I intend to ask a lot of questions and make sure issues important to all voters are discussed openly and in necessary detail.

Richard Davis

Once More for Oscar Heller

by fidel | Politics

The Brattleboro Selectboard made important decisions over the last year

–Proposing to Representative Town Meeting an increase in staff salaries by 13.1%, which will result in salaries and benefits constituting 61.2% of the Town budget, up from 58.3%

–Replacing emergency medical services (EMS) previously provided by Resue (and in the last two years by Golden Cross) with EMS services embedded in the Brattleboro Fire Department, all despite sustained public opposition

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – March 5, 2023

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard has decided to have a tiny meeting on Vermont’s Town Meeting Day. While everyone else will be looking over vote totals and analyzing candidate and issue wins and losses, the board will discuss upcoming legislation at the state level this season, public safety, and committees.  They will likely squeeze in reactions to local election news as well. 

You can bring up other items, if this Chair allows, during Public Participation.

Richard Davis Candidate for One Year Selectboard Seat

by RDavis | Politics

I am Richard Davis, a 74 year old semi-retired nurse, writer and political activist running for a one year seat on the Brattleboro selectboard. A Boston area native, I have lived in Windham County for the past 45 years, 41 of those years in Guilford and for the past 2 ½ years in Brattleboro with my wife Roberta Levy.

I feel that the current board would benefit from new blood to provide a different perspective on issues important to the people of Brattleboro. Many people have been frustrated at the appearance of a lack of transparency that has surrounded the actions of the current board, especially in relation to the decision to end a long-standing relationship with Rescue Inc.

Selectboard Oversight & Transparency

by Oscar Heller | Politics

This is my fourth year on the RTM Finance Committee. Many people have asked me what the committee’s job is, and now that we’ve finished our report (link), I can give a specific answer.

Our job is to provide citizen oversight of the Selectboard and the town’s budget. This report represents the culmination six months of research, analysis, and hard work by David Levenbach, Millicent Cooley, Mike Hutcheson, Paula Melton, and myself. We watched and rewatched Selectboard meetings, interviewed Town staff, and performed independent research.

Some notable sections:

Maya Hasegawa: Oscar Heller for Selectboard

by Oscar Heller | Politics

I received this letter and permission to post it from Maya Hasegawa. I worked with Maya on the Finance Committee, and her name is well known to anyone involved in town politics. In addition to town meeting, she currently serves on the Charter Revision Commission, the Design Review Committee, and the Development Review Board – three serious commitments. I’m grateful for her support, and hope you’ll consider voting for me on March 5th.

Her letter follows. Thank you again, Maya!

***

One hears a great deal of talk these days about aging Vermont and how important it is for our future to attract and keep younger people. Brattleboro is fortunate to have such a person running for Selectboard.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Brattleboro Ambulance Rides To Be $1400

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard feb 20 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard set EMS rates and policies, settling on a $1400 cost for a ride in their new ambulance service. Your insurance will pay for most of it, and if you get a bill you can ignore it completely or enter into a payment plan or pay it all at once. It is compassionate, they agreed.

The Town will embark on a search for a new waste management partner, someone who will listen and be responsive, and perhaps take long walks or watch movies together.

The Most Qualified Person Running for Selectboard This Year

by pjm-h | Politics

Talk about laboring in obscurity!

Last week, I found myself discussing a $3.4 million gift that Brattleboro had received. When should we spend it? What should we spend it on? And who should decide?

That’s when we got hung up for a good 20 minutes on the finer points of jurisdiction within Town government. Also the finer points of pickleball.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – February 20, 2024

by cgrotke | Town News

The big item for the Brattleboro Selectboard at their next regular meeting will be setting the billing and collection policies for the Town’s new EMS service. The board is setting the rates to be charged and what to do if someone doesn’t pay, among other things.

Also, the Water Treatment Plant’s engineering costs are over-budget and will cost an additional $303k.  ARPA funds will be used to cover staff salaries, bids will be accepted for trash collection in town, motions will be assigned for reading at Representative Town Meeting, and you can bring up other items not on the agenda, perhaps, during public participation.

Oscar Heller for Selectboard

by fidel | Politics

I have served on the Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee with Oscar Heller for three years, during one of which he served as chair, and I can enthusiastically recommend his candidacy for a three-year seat on the Brattleboro Selectboard.

Heller is a flatlander who came to Vermont as a camper and then counselor at Camp W in West Brattleboro. Those summer experiences made him commit to Brattleboro as a place where he wanted to make his life and his work (which is in web design and marketing).

Brattleboro’s budget provides for the services residents receive, is the foundation for addressing problems facing the community, and determines the taxes we pay. Because of Heller’s dedicated work on the Finance Committee, Oscar has deep knowledge of the budget, and he can work the numbers.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Some Interesting Updates

by cgrotke | Town News

A possibly short meeting with potentially interesting topics ahead was actually not so short due to technical difficulties, but it certainly was interesting. A respite from budgets, for sure.

Sustainability, food security, downtown safety, bridge fixing, and more were all discussed. Some with slide presentations!

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – February 6, 2024

by cgrotke | Town News

Flood Plain Restoration is more expensive than originally thought. By hundreds of thousands of dollars. That’s part of what the Brattleboro Selectboard will hear at the first regular meeting of February 2024.

The board will also create a new road for the Town to take care of, hear updates on town safety, sustainability, food, farms, and vacant buildings. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation, if the Chair allows.

Press Release: Oscar Heller for Selectboard

by Oscar Heller | Politics

My name is Oscar Heller, and I’m running for Selectboard. I believe I have the temperament and skills to do a great job on your behalf. I value thoughtfulness, hard work, and public engagement. I’m not afraid to admit when I don’t understand something, or to ask hard questions on behalf of the public. And I’m not afraid to stand alone or take a hard vote if I disagree.

I found Brattleboro through Camp Waubanong, and moved here permanently ten years ago. Since then I’ve started two small businesses, bought a building and become a landlord on Elliot St, and gotten involved in local politics. I first joined the Energy Committee, and am currently a town meeting representative and a member of the Finance Committee. I’m 35 years old, and I want to be a part of building our future.

Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Agenda and Notes – February 1, 2024

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet for a Special Meeting on Thursday, February 1, 2024 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center (230 Main Street, Room 212). At the conclusion of the meeting the Board will meet and is expected to immediately enter into executive session to discuss contracts, possible litigation, and evaluation of a public employee. No action will be taken in executive session. The public may also participate in the meeting over Zoom. The attached agenda contains information on how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.”  ASL interpreters or closed captioning will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.

Richard Davis To Run For One Year Brattleboro Selectboard Seat

by RDavis | Politics

Richard Davis, a 74 year old semi-retired nurse, writer and political activist has announced his intention to run for a one year seat on the Brattleboro selectboard.

A Boston area native, Davis has lived in Windham County for the past 45 years, 41 of those years in Guilford and for the past 2 ½ years in Brattleboro with his wife Roberta Levy.

He feels that the current board needs new blood to provide a different perspective on issues important to the people of Brattleboro.

Many people have been frustrated at the appearance of a lack of transparency that has surrounded the actions of the current board, especially in relation to the decision to end a long-standing relationship with Rescue Inc.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – We’ll See Your $80k, and Raise You $80k

by cgrotke | Town News
selectoard jan 16 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard heard a request from two organizations for an $80,000 a year part time position (and some data collection) and decided to double it. They gave them $160,000 and two years for a “proof of concept” showing that this investment attracts new businesses to Brattleboro.

The board went on to discuss their ARPA plans and FY25 budgets.